The Seminary Explores

Pastor Scott Schul, Senior Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church describes his recent visit to Denmark where he met and served alongside leaders in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark in an effort to “build a bigger Lutheran Church” united by common creeds and confessions, and not divided by national boundaries, politicians, or parochial allegiances to pastors, buildings, and boundary lines on a map. He explains ways that Danish Lutherans are using beauty and education, especially the “folk church tradition,” to reach a new generation of seekers.

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Paul Lutz reflects on his life as a religious educator in the church. He recounts his formal theological education at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary) where he received his M.Div. and Boston College where he received his MA in Religious Education.

Paul remembers those educators who influenced his interest in the field, including such scholars as A. Roger Gobbel, Mays Boys, and Tom Groome. He also describes his five years working at the churchwide offices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Adult Formation. He wrote material and traveled. He gained a broader perspective of religious education throughout the ELCA and particularly the impact of culture on educational expressions in churches.

Paul reflects on the challenges for religious education in our churches and society with a special need for more resources to support congregations and increased pastoral support. Lastly, he offers suggestions for people considering a call to this area of ministry.

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Dr. Richard Perry, Prof. Emeritus of Church and Society, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Dr. James Thomas, retired Prof. of Church and Ministry, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Lenoir-Rhyne University discuss the life and ministry of Dr. William Herzfeld.

Dr Herzfeld was the first African American to be presiding bishop of a Lutheran denomination in the United States. They discussed his years as parish pastor, Civil Rights leader(worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Southern Christian Leadership Conference), bishop of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and executive position in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They also describe him as a synthesizer, nurturer, liberator, and community builder who showed his faith. In his life and with his organizational skills, he created space for Black Lutherans. He had a commitment to the global church. They both conclude that his life and ministry continues to inspire them and their work.

Bishop Herzfeld photo: https://coslutheran.org/bishop-will-herzfeld-1937-2002/

Victoria Jesswein, Associate Archivist at United Lutheran Seminary, introduces us to the work of an archivist, explains the importance of the archives to an institution and answers the question, what is an archivist? She describes the archive collection at United Lutheran Seminary (ULS) noting the ample collection of 19th century materials as well as materials from earlier centuries. As the seminary celebrates its bicentennial in 2026 it is important to reflect on what voices have been excluded from that story and how to fill in those gaps. Jesswein also shares the professional preparation of an archivist as well as the challenges all archives face amid the digital age.

Dr. Maria Erling, Professor of Modern Church History and Global Mission at United Lutheran Seminary, shares her thoughts on the 200^th Anniversary of ULS. She tells about the need for an educated Lutheran ministry in the United States , the English/German language issue in Church, and the confessional issues that established two Lutheran seminaries in the state of Pennsylvania. She also shares examples of personalities that held her interest. She discusses the life and Dr. Bertha Paulssen, a German refugee during WW2 , who was the first woman to be on a Lutheran seminary faculty in the United States. Dr. Erling also discusses the challenges to theological education in general and United Lutheran Seminary in particular.

Dr. Mark Tyler, Historiographer of the AME Church, and the Inaugural Daniel A. Payne Lecturer, highlights the life and work of Daniel A. Payne and the importance of his years at Gettysburg Seminary.

He emphasizes the importance of and the role that education exhibited in Payne’s life as an African American intellectual in the 19^th century. Tyler also discusses Payne work as the first  historiographer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; he (Tyler) is the 15^th person to hold that position. While a true intellectual, Tyler notes the fact that Payne’s life emphasized the use of Head and Heart in ministry. The intellect and the emotional commitment are inseparable; they inform one another.

Dr. Tyler's full lecture can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n6aoWutn20

Dr. Mark Tyler

Thumbnail image source: By C M Bell - https://www.loc.gov/item/2016690322/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103021368 

Dr. James Thomas, retired professor of Church, Ministry and Worship at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir-Rhyne University, discusses various people he interviewed and researched for his book, A Rumor of Black Lutherans. He emphasizes the importance of telling and sharing their stories as members of Lutheran churches in the U.S. In addition, he notes that the lives of these Black giants in Lutheranism indicates their contribution to the life of the whole church and people do not know them. For example, he mentioned Jehu Jones, Daniel Payne, Rosa Young. He encourages future scholars to continue to research and share the stories of Black Lutherans who have made contributions to our lives from their secular work as involved Lutheran laypersons (doctors, teachers, etc.).

Pew Research data on the Racial and ethnic composition among members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

This episode focuses on the work of Dawn Stewart and Mark Staples. They are part of a group of friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Richard Stewart. Dr. Stewart concentrated his work on the history of Black Lutherans. Mark and Dawn share their two-year project of reading and identifying articles in The Lutheran, Lutheran Standard, and Partners magazines which centered on Black Lutherans.

In continuing the work of Dr. Stewart, they hope to make their findings available to the public, students, and scholars. From their investigation, they were able to identify trends (Civil Rights, Housing, etc.) in the reporting as well as Black Lutherans who contributed to daily life in the United States and to the Lutheran Church.

Pastor Leonard killings of Advent Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio shares the story of Adent Lutheran Church having an historical marker placed on its building.

While the congregation is sixty years old, he describes its uniqueness as this event contributes to the history of Black Lutheran history and American Church history. He recalls its history as a mission developed in Lee-Harvard, a middle-class Black community. The architects of the building were Black twins who were just beginning their careers and Advent was their first major project.

Killings describes the criterion measures for landmark designation as well the process which took over a year a half. While the landmark designation is a remembrance of its past, Advent congregational members also see it as a commitment to Word and Sacrament ministry, Word and Service ministry and dedication to remain in the Lee-Harvard community of Cleveland, Ohio.

Tristan Ericson and Elizabeth Mitchell shared their reflections on a recent mission trip to Tanzania. They were part of a mission team of over twenty-five people mostly from St. Paul Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania.

This trip was designed to acquaint and connect the delegation with the leaders and congregants Mpuguso Church of the Konde Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Once there, they helped where needed by the church and places they visited, the Lutheran school, the hospital. Tristan and Elizabeth talked about Sunday worship that was between three and four hours in length but did not seem that long. It was vibrant.

When asked about some of the outcomes of the trip, Elizabeth and Tristan stated that the people they had heard about before the trip were no longer in the abstract. They now have brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. The hospitality shown to them was overwhelming. This trip helped members of St. Paul and other churches in the area to be aware of the connections that exist in the global church.